MTV.com, 2 May 2011            Watch the video
By Rick Marshall

"Thor" hits theaters here in the U.S. this week, but as with any film, there's likely to be some footage that can only be seen when the film arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray a few months later.

MTV News sat down with "Thor" director Kenneth Branagh to discuss some of the scenes that didn't make the final cut, and what we can expect to find in the "Special Features" section when the god of thunder brings his big debut to shelves.

"On the DVD you'll see many deleted scenes," Branagh told MTV News, then proceeded to describe — in vague, non-spoilery terms — some of the footage you won't see in theaters. "On the way to this particular cut, in pursuit of what we felt was the perfect balance for this first time out with Thor, we had to not so much sacrifice — because this felt like the right thing to get to," explained Branagh, "but with certain areas of the story, things like the Asgardian parents, Odin and Frigga, played by the beautiful Rene Russo, there's some beautiful scenes in there that I think people will enjoy."

"And certainly Thor and Loki interacting in different ways that just fill in a little bit of a back story, that was part of our rehearsal and research," he added. "I think it's going to be an interesting bunch of material."

As for how much of that material finds its way to the DVD and Blu-Ray editions of "Thor," Branagh offered a rough estimate of the content.

"I guess it's got to be 20 minutes worth, I think," he said. "It's a significant amount, actually."

"Thor" hits U.S. theaters this Friday, May 6.